


Filler in the Space

by blueberryjamcake



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dogs, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Meet-Cute, Not Epilogue Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21579268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueberryjamcake/pseuds/blueberryjamcake
Summary: Harry is having a bad day, and then finds a lost puppy.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Kudos: 56





	Filler in the Space

Harry was having one of those awful days. One of those long awful days. 

The day actually started before the sun had even risen, when Kreacher had barged into Harry’s room. He was holding the cuckoo clock Mr. Weasley had given Harry for his twenty-third birthday three months ago, howling about having his work interrupted by the damn wooden bird for the last time.

Harry had spent over an hour convincing Kreacher, that the clock was not in fact cursed, and then managed to reach a compromise with the house elf by casting a silencing charm on the bird.

With only ten minutes to spare, Harry had rushed to get dressed and out of the house, only to just barely make it on time for an early Auror meeting at the ministry. 

His boss hadn’t been too pleased with his tardiness, and had thus proceeded to spend the rest of the morning sending increasingly passive aggressive remarks his way. It had taken all of his might, and half of Ron’s (the other half was too busy laughing at him, the git), to keep Harry from ever so discreetly hexing the bastard. 

At lunchtime, Mrs. Langhani, maker of Harry’s favorite curry pie in London, had completely run out of food by the time he'd stepped into her shop. Apparently, a Muggle had accidentally stumbled upon her shop and then, as Mrs. Patel had explained it, spread the news via some new website Harry couldn’t for the life of him remember (as he’d scantly had any use a computer since leaving Privet Drive).

Not wanting to risk the wrath that would face him for being late again, Harry had opted out of waiting for Mrs. Langhani to bake a new batch. Instead, he returned to the ministry, settling for a soggy sandwich from one of the Ministry trolleys. 

He’d thought he might look forward to popping over to Herimione and Ron’s for supper, as often did. Unfortunately, an owl had dropped off a note of regret from Hermione, explaining that she and Ron were having a couple’s night out with Dean, Seamus, Luna and Neville.

“Forgot about that. Soz, mate.” Ron had said, upon reading the note, sounding anything but sorry,

Harry shook his head in reply, flipping two fingers at his best friend as he left the office, officially calling the day done, fifteen minutes before dismissal. Sod it, he’d deal with the consequences tomorrow. 

The last straw in the haystack of Harry’s bad day came as he was walking home along the canals. Opting against apparating in order to prolong the start of yet another inevitably lonely evening. He’d been so deep into his thoughts feeling sorry for himself when he stepped into a giant puddle, only just keeping himself from fully falling over. 

It was while he was emptying his shoe of water that Harry heard a whimper coming from some bushes nearby. Though it didn’t sound human, he felt obligated to approach the origin of the sound, incapable of not helping anything in need, (like a proper self righteous Gryffindor).

When he bent down to look under the foliage, Harry saw a small ball of fuzzy brown fur. Reaching his hand near the trembling creature, Harry let out a sigh of relief when he felt as it licked his fingers. Gently, Harry picked it up and smiled as he realized he was holding a puppy which couldn't be more than a few months old. 

As he cradled ~~i~~ ~~t~~ her to his chest, Harry’s breath hitched when a pair of grey eyes eventually looked up at him, surprised by how much the grey looked just like his godfather's. Slowly, Harry took a deep breath and then let it out, reminding himself that his heart was healing, still hurt, but healing, blinking back tears, gently stroking the soft fur of his new companion. 

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?" Harry asked as he looked at her collar, not finding any name or phone number. "Who do you belong to?"

With no one in front or behind him at the canal, Harry decided he might have better luck with his search along the road above. He walked around the neighborhood for about ten minutes, keeping hold of the puppy in his arms because she didn’t have a leash, (and also because even though they’d only met less than twenty minutes ago, Harry had instantly felt this primal need to protect). 

Just as he was about to cut his losses and turn for home, he was brought to a pause at the sound of a voice he hadn’t heard in over six years. 

“Cornelius,” the voice called out. 

“Cornelius! Come here, girl.” Harry’s legs were frozen as the owner of the voice finally rounded the corner, and he found himself face to face with the second best thing he’d seen all day. 

“Harry,” Draco Malfoy said, nearly at a whisper, with his grey eyes round with surprise. 

“Hello, Draco," Harry replied, sounding equally at a loss, meeting Draco’s gaze. 

“Wh-why are you holding Cornelius?” Draco asked after a beat. 

“Cornelius?” Harry responded quizzically. 

“That’s her name,” Draco said nodding at the dog in Harry’s arms. “Cornelius, as in the minister.”

Harry surprised himself (and Cornelius) with the laugh that escaped his mouth. “You do look like a piece of fudge,” Harry said looking down at her. 

Draco offered a smile as he stepped close enough to touch his dog. “She’s just as sweet, too.” 

Harry ignored the way his heart skipped a beat, never having heard Draco speak to anyone (or anything) with such care. “I- I found her down near the Canal.” Harry explained keeping a hold of Cornelius.

“How the hell did you manage to get down there, sweets?” Draco asked her as he bent down to kiss Cornelius’s head. 

This time, Harry felt his stomach tug as he watched Draco, up close, fondly whispering endearments to his dog. As Draco straightened himself up, and looked at him again, Harry heard himself blurting, “Would you like to have dinner with me, to-tonight?” He had no idea where that thought had even come from.

Harry’s heart first sank as he recognized the bewilderment on Draco’s face, then it began to beat faster and faster, as Draco’s look of shock turned into a shy grin as he nodded his head in acceptance. 

Before Harry knew it, he was stepping forward, with his lips meeting Draco’s. Closing his eyes, Harry felt his magic react as Draco’s hand gently cupped his face deepening the kiss. Although Harry soon lost track of how long they’d been stood there kissing, it was the sound of Cornelius’ whine which made him pull back from Draco, but not before stealing a few more kisses. 

“You’d better put her down, Potter,” Draco said clipping on Cornelius’ leash. “That’s the sound she makes when she needs a bit of privacy”. 

Harry put her down, and they watched as her tiny legs walked to a light post not even a meter away. 

“Harry,” Harry said turning back to face Draco. 

“What?”

“I’d like you to call me Harry. It sounded nice wh-when you said it before.” 

Draco’s simply smiled before placing his hand on Harry’s lower back bringing him in for another kiss. 

This time it was Draco who pulled back first. “You know," He admitted, nuzzling Harry’s nose with his own, "I've thought about doing that for the last twelve years.” 

“I knew it,” Harry teased him, crouching down to lift up Cornelius, who had returned to them. 

“Oh sod off, Harry. I wasn’t completely blind back then, you know.” 

“I don’t know what he’s talking about, Cornelius.” Harry said to her as he started walking up the road. 

“Merlin, you’re still incredibly irritating, aren’t you?” Draco laughed, catching up with them, and putting his arm around Harry’s shoulder. 

“‘Fraid so, but now I know that that’s what does it for you.” Harry said smugly, before letting Draco kiss the smirk from his lips. 

“Now, where are you taking me for dinner?” Draco continued as they crossed the road. 

“There’s this great pub Ron-” 

“Harry,” Draco interrupted, ”I’m not telling my mother that our first date was at a pub.” 

Harry’s burst of laughter permeated the busy streets. With Cornelius now dozed off in his arms, and Draco holding him closer, going on and on about the etiquette of courting, the sun set on what had turned out to be one of those wonderful days.

**Author's Note:**

> JK Rowling created all of these characters and I claim no ownership to them. She did her thing, and I am grateful for it!  
> As a long time fan fic reader, I wanted to see if I might try and write a story of me own. It's a prompt I've had a in my head for a while, and after encountering way too many "woah it's you" tropes, I wanted to create one with Draco and Harry. 
> 
> Title from Adele's "Best For Last"  
> Thanks so much for reading. <3
> 
> ps run on sentences are awful but also a challenge which I enjoy. :P


End file.
